The Knoxville Ice Bears introduced Jeff Carr as the sixth head coach in franchise history on Thursday afternoon.
Carr was previously an assistant coach with the ECHL's Utah Grizzlies, a minor league affiliate of the NHL's Anaheim Ducks.
He replaces Mike Craigen, who won one SPHL President's Cup Championship in seven seasons as Knoxville's head coach. His contract was not renewed.
It was a tough decision for Carr to leave affiliated hockey to come to the SPHL, where teams are not affiliated with an NHL parent club, but the chance to be a head coach and Knoxville's draw was too strong.
"There was a player that we called up and played briefly for me last year that actually played for Knoxville and we called him back up and he didn't want to move up, which doesn't happen," Carr said.
"After the season I asked him what was the deal with that and he's like, you can't leave Knoxville, with the fans and the city, I had it too good and it was just an incredible organization so that tipped me off and right from there it was kind of downhill."
That player was Robbie Donahoe who played 12 games for Utah last season before coming back to Knoxville to stay, recording 19 points in 33 games for the Ice Bears.
Knoxville is the most successful franchise in the SPHL with four President's Cup titles and four regular season championships, more than any other team in the league. Carr is embracing the high expectations.
"Bottom line for me, I'm here to win a championship," Carr said.
"I don't want a building process, there is no building process in minor pro hockey. I want to win, I want to win right here now and this year."
